Tanzania: People living with HIV seek support for their economic projects
They look forward to getting support so their economic groups could be more vibrant. Rombo District chairperson of people living with HIV, Ms Joyce Peter, said here recently that they were eager for support so they could move forward. Among projects they had come up with was batik-making.
Ms Peter said if they were provided with machines it would be a huge boost for the group since demand for such clothes was huge and it would help their members.
She said it was not good for HIV-positive people to be so dependent, which was why they had formed the group in 2012 as a means to deal with their tricky situation.
The chairperson said they dealt in different economic activities, including livestock keeping and soap making.
“We are not asking for support without doing anything, we deal in batik-making, livestock keeping and soap production. Our challenge is lack of capital, something that pull us back in our aim to progress in our business,” said Ms Peter.
She said their biggest challenge, apart from ensuring their families’ livelihood, was to cater for their children's expenses at school, as some children were at primary and secondary school while others were in institutions of higher learning.
She called upon the public to come forward and be counselled and tested so they could know their HIV status.
A communiqué from the Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Leonidas Gama, said the regional authority would link the group with Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO).
SIDO, in turn, would help the group to acquire machines while the RC’s office would offer some raw materials for the group.
Written by DEUS NGOWI in Rombo
